Some transportation-related meetings are on the calendar for next week that may be of interest to neighborhood folks:

* DC STATE RAIL PLAN OPEN HOUSE: The project to create an official "State Rail Plan" (ahem) for DC is kicking off, and DDOT is holding an open house on Monday, Sept. 28 to "introduce the plan to the community." This rail plan is a requirement for any state (again, ahem) wishing to be eligible for grants and other federal financial assistance, and is going to focus on "passenger and freight rail infrastructure shared by CSX, VRE, MARC, Amtrak, and Norfolk Southern." The intent is to have a completed plan that will provide a high-level strategic framework, goals, and objectives to leverage the District’s rail network for continuing economic competitiveness and quality-of-life investments while also addressing ongoing concerns about rail safety and oversight."

The open house will run from 5:30 pm to 7:30 pm at Friendship Public Charter School-Chamberlain Campus, 1345 Potomac Avenue, SE. This start time is 30 minutes earlier than originally announced, because....:

* VIRGINIA AVE. STREETSCAPE RESTORATION REVIEW MEETING: Also on Monday, Sept. 28, beginning at 6:30 pm at 200 I St. SE, a joint meeting by DDOT and ANCs 6B and 6D will go over CSX's draft plans for rebuilding Virginia Avenue once construction is complete on the Virginia Avenue Tunnel. The first 30 minutes will be an open house, and then presentations and discussions will begin at 7 pm. There will also be a special public meeting of DDOT's Public Space Committee about the plans on Nov. 12.

(And then maybe for Christmas we can pitch in and get DDOT a group calendar, to perhaps avoid in the future scheduling two meetings with a very similar audience on the same night at nearly the same time in not-particularly-adjoining locations.)

* CIRCULATOR STOP CONSOLIDATION MEETING: On Wednesday, Sept. 30, DDOT is having a public meeting to talk about possibly consolidating some stops on the Union Station-Navy Yard line "to improve on-time performance and reliability." The only south-of-the-freeway stops on the potential chopping block are the ones at 4th and M SE in both directions, with the 6th and M stops being the closet ones to use instead. (The announcement gives the full lineup.) The meeting is from 6pm to 8pm at the Southeast Neighborhood Library, 403 7th Street SE.

willinrm says: (9/24/15 8:01 AM)I'm sure there is somewhere I could look this up but I am unsure where, do we know when the CSX construction is going to be completed?

JD says: (9/24/15 9:24 AM)Their web site gives a general "approximately 30 to 42 months." I think there may also be a difference between residents wanting to know "when do all the roads open again" versus "when will CSX consider the project completed, all the way from west of 2nd to east of 12th?"

So, 30 months from June 2015 would be December 2017, while 42 months would be December 2018. (Assuming the time frame begins with the "start of major construction."

And it looks like the actual excavation begins next week:
"Excavation work for the first new tunnel is expected to begin in the 400 block of Virginia Avenue during the week of September 28. Earthmoving equipment and other machinery will be involved in this work, potentially creating different noises than neighbors have witnessed previously."

willinrm says: (9/24/15 3:57 PM)AHHHHHHHHHHHH!!! ok that is incredibly shocking I had no idea it was going to be that long!!!

Thanks for the intel!!

coffeexdrinker says: (9/28/15 11:52 AM)The loss of a Circulator stop at M and 4th is not good. That's where the Harris Teeter is, and is also a major access point to the restaurants down in the boilermaker shops, etc. I'd definitely prefer to see the one at M and 6th be removed. Will be at meeting Wednesday evening.

conngs0 says: (10/1/15 1:06 PM)It'll all be good once M Street gets a street car...

coffeexdrinker says: (10/1/15 3:16 PM)@conngs0 I'm not going to hold my breath on that. I don't think there will be many more streetcar projects in DC after the disaster that getting the H st one up and running has been. It'd be nice though...